But I do have some thoughts on the never ending pastor-drama that has plagued this campaign.

Shall we?

My initial concern over the way the pastor drama was being covered was that it felt a little too zoo-ish to me. The media coverage reminded me of those tourists who visit a black church in Harlem, take pictures during the service then leave before the alter call.

But now that everyone has denounced, rejected, sever ties and blah followed by another blah their pastor who has behaved badly this bitch is ready to view this whole faith-based messed from a distance.

A bitch feels that the Great 2008 Outbreak of Pastor-based Campaign Drama is a fantabulous example of why organized prayer/religion in public school classrooms is a bad idea.

Blink.

And the congregation said… “Oh, no she didn’t take it there!”

And the choir replied… “Oh, yes...mmmhmm, she did!”

Cough.

See, a bitch is a rather spiritual person and I’m all for students getting their prayer on wherever they want to if they want to. I used to pray my heart out before Geometry tests and I still toss one up to The Divine One when so moved.

What I do not support is a teacher or counselor or coach leading prayer for the classroom.

And the church asked…“But why not, Ms.Shark-Fu?”

And a bitch replied… “Great question, chil’ren!”

What if the person leading all that prayer passionately believes something you don’t want the wee ones passionately believing?

Observe, fair people! Thy media has frenzied upon the different beliefs of certain congregations within the same denomination! Imagine how varied the values are across the Protestant spectrum. And what of Catholics…and those who are Jewish or Muslim. And one must not forget those spaghetti monster people!

The lesson - thou shall not approve school prayer based on the assumption that everyone prays the same way, about the same things or at all.

Next!

What if the person leading prayer is crazy as hell?

What?

I’m just keeping it real.

When I heard Reverend Hagee try to connect the tragedy of Katrina to a Gay Pride parade it made my Afro hurt and his Hitler comments were beyond disturbing. Then you have that church in Kansas that shall not be named going forth to preach hate and damnation throughout the Midwest while pissing in the Corn Flakes of decent people wherever their members decide to get their hate on.

Now, do you want those folks working through that crazy ass shit all up in your child’s mind?

I didn’t think so!

The mistake that proponents of organized public school prayer make is that they assume that they will control who does the praying and what that prayer is about. People who aren’t religious already know that's bullshit, because they know how hard it is to get those pro-organized prayer people to listen to them.

But a bitch has found that pro-organized school prayer people only see prayer through the altered lens of their personal experience.

Mayhap the Great 2008 Outbreak of Pastor-based Campaign Drama will serve as a lesson in just how complicated religion can be…

…and why those oft quoted founders thought it wise to recommend a little distance and a lot of caution.

I think it is truely unfortunate that the Obama family has been pushed(torn)away from their church family. I enjoy my freedom of religion and am proud that my neighors share this freedom. Do we as Americans really want to limit, control or standardize religion?

All these years of trying to get the masses to understand why seperation of church and state is a good thing using charts and graphs and philosophical arguments...and Shark-Fu has laid it out in one quick soundbyte-y question. Brilliant.

The irony is, that is the exact same reason why my conservative Christian mother did not support prayer in schools when I was growing up. She thought that most of the teachers in my schools were too liberal and too Jewish(I grew up in Miami) and the last thing she wanted is for them to be handling my religious education.